Firing mechanism



Oct. 19, 1948. s. WEISS FIRING MECHANISM Filed y 29, 1944 III!" 35 Swot/whom atented Get. 19, 1948 OFFICE (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 8 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a continuous pull type firing mechanism for firearms, by which is meant a firing mechanism the manual crank of which is pulled or otherwise moved to first cock the mechanism and then to operate the cocked mechanism to discharge the gun or other firearm. Both the cocking and the firing occur in the same uni-directional movement of the firing mechanism manual crank. The objects of the invention are to provide a continuous pull type firing mechanism which will be simple in action and positive in operation, containing relatively few and easily-manufactured parts, and which will be inexpensive to reproduce, and which will be easily assembled and disassembled. A still further object is to provide a continuous pull type firing mechanism having a single spring for both driving and for partially retracting the striker or firing pin.

For the attainment of the foregoing and such other objects of invention as may herein appear or be pointed out I have shown one embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 represents a mortar to which the improved firing mechanism has been applied by way of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the improved firing mechanism, showing the parts in normal position;

Figs. 3, 4 and are likewise sectional views, with certain parts in elevation, but on a somewhat reduced scale, Fig. 3 showing the parts in fully cocked position, Fig. 4 showing the parts at the end of the firing stroke, and Fig. 5 showing the parts when the firing pin is partially retracted; 1

Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 6-6 of Fig.2;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the lower portion of the improved firing mechanism;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken through the axis of the firing lever;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary detail perspective View of the firing lever;

Figure 10 is a detail perspective view of the tripper lever; and

Figure 11 is an elevational view of a split washer carried on a reduced portion of the firing lever shaft.

While the improved firing mechanism is shown in the accompanying drawing in connection with a mortar, it should be understood that the improved firing mechanism may be applied to any and all types of firearms and ordnance. The tube 1 of the mortar, having a firing pin aperture 3 is held securely in a boot member which comprises two symmetrical halves I0 and Ill, see Fig. 7, which are joined together in the vertical plane designated V-V in Fig. 7. The composite boot member Iii-40 has a cylindrical cup portion (the half thereof forming part of boot half Ill being designated I I while the cup portion of boot half I0 is designated II, but the cup portion will be referred to generally as II). Cup portion II is provided with an internal annular groove I2 (i. e., I2 and I2 when referred to the two halves I0 and ID of the boot member, Fig. 7) in which is received an annular band 2 projecting on the outside of mortar tube l near its base. It is understood that the composite boot member I Gl6' is split in order that the tube band 2 may be locked in the boot groove I2. For the purpose of holding the two halves of the boot member together, with the mortar tube clamped between them, a coupling or bushing 4 is slipped around the composite boot and secured thereto by screwing internal threads 4s of the bushing 4 on external threads IIs pro; vided on the cup portion II of the boot.

Depending from cup portion II of boot member I0 is a flat well member I3 (1. e., I3 and I3, Fig. '7) which in the direction shown in Fig. 2 and also Fig. l is equal in length to the outside diameter of the cup portion II of the boot. But the Width of well member I3, in the direction of Fig. 7, is considerably less, the well'member being set in, or recessed from, the sides, see Fig. '7. Well member I3 provides a shallow space for the parts of the firing mechanism. At the bottom of well member I3 and depending therefrom is a centrally located thimble M, of a diameter substantially equal to the width of the well member, provided with external threads. Threaded thimble I4 is screwed into a socket piece 5, Fig. 1, provided with a sphere end 6 held in a ball socket l of a base plate 8.

The firing member comprises a vertical frame member '20 having a rear web 2!, shown for example in Fig. 2, and a front web 22, see Fig. 3. The vertical rear and front webs 2| and 22 are bridged by an upper bridge 24, a middle bridge 25 and a lower block 29. From the top of upper bridge 23 projects a short pin 23 slidable in the aperture 3 of the mortar tube. Pin 23 is the igniter pin and also serves as a sliding support for the upper portion of frame member 20. The lower block 29, which serves as the sliding support for the lower portion of frame member 20, is s1idably received in the thimble 4. The lower surface of the base of mortar tube l is provided with a recess 9 in which is received the upper bridge 24 when the firing frame 26 is in its uppermost position, as in Fig. 4.

Firing frame 23 is maintained in normal position, shown in Fig. 2, with the firing pin 23 partially retracted whereby its tip is somewhat below the top surface of the base of mortar tube l, by means of a wire spring designated generally as 3!]. Wire spring 30 is mounted on a stud l extending across the narrow span of well member l3, by several coils or convolutions 3! of the spring, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. Oneend of wire spring 33 constitutes upper spring element 34 while the other end of the spring wire constitutes lower spring element 35. element 35 abuts the top surface of middle bridge of firing frame 23, as shown in Fig. 2, to main tain the firing frame in normal position, as shown in Fig. 2 and described above.

For the purpose of lowering firing frame 23 to compress spring and to cock the mechanism and for the further purpose of tripping the cocked mechanism a manual crank lever 43 is provided. The crank lever 43 is provided with a spindle having a main journal 4! and an auxiliary journal Mb of reduced diameter, both being journaled in the walls l3 and i3, respectively, as shown in Figure 8. Intermediate these journals, the spindle is provided with a key portion 42k, a cylindrical supporting part 43, hav-- ing a diameter equal to that of the journal 4527, and a reduced circular portion 4!. W'ithin the interior space of the well member !3 and secured to the spindle 4! is a substantially triangularshaped tripper lever 42, shown in Figure 10. The tripper lever 42 is mounted on the cylindrical supporting part 43' and held against relative rotation thereon by the key 42k engaging a slot 423 in the tripper lever 42 and held against relative longitudinal movement thereto by a split washer Mk, carried by the reduced portion 4%. The manual crank 49 and its tripper lever 42 are shown in their normal positions in Fig. 2 with the manual crank 43 in its raised position, shown also in Fig. 1. its tripper lever 42 are maintained in this normal position by the lower spring element the distal end of which slidably rests in a groove 42a at the upper distal end of the right arm of tripper lever 42.

The left arm of lever 42 has a projecting lip 44 which, in the normal position of the parts shown in Fig. 2, rests on the horizontal ledge 261- of a by-pass dog 26 which is pivotly mounted at 25a on the firing frame 2? By-pass dog 26 has a lug 26p projecting upwardly from the horizontal ledge 26?" but which is located on the left of the pivotal point 26a. Lug 25p contacts a projection 25s which depends from the middle bridge 25 and serves as a stop. Inasmuch as lip 44 of actuating lever 42 contacts by-pass do 26 at a point to the right of pivotal point 26a, depression of manual crank tends to turn by-pass dog 26 in a clockwise direction, which turning is prevented by the abutment of lug 26p of the bypass dog with stop 25s of the middle bridge 25. Hence depression of manual crank 40 will cause the lowering of firing frame 23 from its normal position shown in Fig. 2 to the lowered position shown in Fig. 3.

Lower spring The manual crank and r Both the lowering of firing frame 20 and the counterclockwise turning of actuating lever 42 cause the compressing or energizing of spring 38. The lowering of firing frame 2!) compresses the spring by moving its upper spring element 34 downwardly, while the counterclockwise turning of actuating lever 42 compresses the spring by moving its lower spring element 35 upwardly. That is, the two elements 34 and 35 of spring 36 are brought close together, as shown in Fig. 3, to place the coils SI of the spring under COL-- pression. Firing frame 23 in moving downwardly moves the upper spring element 34 in that direction by contact of the under surface of upper bridge 24 with spring element 34. Actuating lever 42 in turning counterclockwise moves the lower spring element 35 upwardly by contact of point a of'the right arm of the tripper lever 42 with the distal end of lower spring element 35.

As manual crank 40 is continued to be depressed and its tripper lever 42 turned counterclockwise, the lip 44 of the lever 42 moves rightwardly along the horizontal ledge 231* of by-pass dog 26 approaching the rightmost corner I) of the dog, as in Fig. 3. Further counterclockwise of lever 42 causes its lip 44 to leave the point or tip 17 of bypass dog 26, as shown in Fig. 4.-, thus releasing the firing frame 23 to the compressed or energized spring 30. As explained above in the description of the downward stroke of firing member 263, both the upper element 34 and the lower element 35 of spring 3!) are moved to place the spring 33 under compression, see Fig. 3. But in the upward, firing stroke of member 23, see Fig. 4, the upper spring element 34 impels the frame 23 upwardly, by abutment with its upper bridge 24 (Fig. 3). The lower spring element 35 plays no active part in the upward,

, firing stroke of frame 25, it being held against movement by the abutment of its distal end with point a of actuating lever 42, as can be best seen by comparing Fig. 3 and Fig. 4.

The upper spring element 34 of the compressed or energized spring 39 moves frame member 2!! impulsively as the energy of the compressed spring is suddenly released when the lip 44 of tripper lever 42 slips off the by-pass dog 26. This sudden upward movement or impulse imparted to frame member 29 gives it sufficient momentum to carry it beyond its normal position (shown in Fig. 2, with the tip of firing pin 23 near the exit of aperture 3 but not protruding therefrom) to firing position (shown in Fig. 4, with the tip of firing pin 23 protruding beyond aperture 3). It will be seen in Fig. 2 that frame 20 is maintained elevated in normal position by upper spring element, 34 bearing against the underside of upper bridge 24. The distal end of spring element 34 is bent towards the base of mortar tube l to form an offset or bent portion 33 which is effective to space the main portion of spring element 34 fromthe mortar tube base. This offset spacing of spring element '34 is such that, when the underside of upper bridge 24 rests on the straight portion of wire 34 (as it does in Fig. 2), the firing pin 23 does not protrude through aperture 3. But when firing member 20 is given its upward impulse, as described above, its momentum will carry the firing pin 23 out of the aperture (to fire the mortar shell, Fig. 4), and the upper bridge 24 of firing frame 29 will be lifted away from the spring 34, as shown in Figure 4. After igniting a mortar shell, the

- manual crank 40 is released whereupon the firing frame 2! and the tripper lever stored by the spring 35 to the iitial positions, as shown in Figure 2, with the pin held slightly below the exit of the aperture 3 due to the upper bridge 26 of the frame 2d resting upon the spring element 34 which is spaced from the mortar tube by the bent portion 85.

At the end of the depression stroke of manual crank iii-during which spring 38 is energized, Fig. 3, and a firing impulse imparted to the firing frame 20, Fig. lthe lower spring element 35 is still in raised or energized position, as shown in Fig. 4, being held in this position by tripper or cooking lever 42, which is held in turned position (Fig. 4) by the depressed manual crank 48. When the hand is taken from the depressed manual crank 4!], spring 39, compressed or energized by reason of the raised or energized position of its lower spring element 35, is effective to return the manual crank Si. to its initial and raised position as shown in Figure 1.. The distal end of the lower spring element 35 bears against point a of the tripper lever, see Fig. 4, and turns it in a clockwise direction with the spindle ii, likewise turning manual crank 58 in the same direction to raise it.

As tripper or cooking lever is returned from its depressed position in Fig. l, in which its lip al is below point b of by-pass dog 26, to its normal position in Fig, 2 in which its lip 351 is above point 27 of dog 26, it is necessary for lip dd to by-pass the dog 26. As actuating lever 62 turns clockwise in Fig. 4, its lip i i pushes by-pass dog 2E out of the way by turning 23 in a counterclockwise direc will be retion about its pivot 25a, the lug 25p of the dog 3 moving leftward away from stop 253, see Fig. 5. The parts are shown in Fig. 5 just before lip id clears point b of dog upon continued clockwise turning of lever 32. For the purpose of turning by-pass dog clockwise, after it has been turned in the opposite direction by actuating lever 12, a pin 21 is slidably held in a bore 291) provided in block 29 of firing frame 28. Within bore 2% is also placed a coil compression spring 28 which presses upwardly on an annular flange 21/ secured to pin 2'? to urge the upper tip of pin 27! into contact with the by-pass dog 25, to turn the dog in a clockwise direction. A stop pin I 6 may be provided to stop the clockwise turnin of tripper lever 42 under urgency of the lower spring element 35 at the end of the return movement of the lever 42 and manual crank it to normal position.

I claim:

1. In firing mechanism for a gun having a barrel provided with a firing pin bore in its base, the combination of a supporting member for the said barrel provided with an internal socket, a slidable frame provided with an upper bridge, a middle bridge and a lower block, the said upper bridge having an outwardly extending firing pin, the said lower block sliding in the said socket of the supporting member and the said firing pin sliding in the said firing pin bore of the barrel to mount the said frame for sliding movement in the supporting member, a spring means having a coiled portion and upper and lower spring elements extending laterally therefrom, means associated with said coiled portion for mounting said spring in said supporting member with its upper spring element underlying and contacting the upper bridge of the slidable frame and with its lower element overlying and adapted to contact the middle bridge, the distal end of the upper spring element having an offset portion and adapted to bear against the barrel base to space the upper spring element therefrom, a tripper lever, means pivotally mounting the same in said supporting member and having oppositely directed lever arms, one of said lever arms having a portion underlying the distal end of said lower spring element and serving as a bearing therefor, the said tripper lever and the said middle bridge of the slidable frame being so constructed and arranged relative to the lower spring element that in the initial position of the tripper lever the said lower spring element presses the middle bridge downwardly to seat the upper bridge upon the upper spring element and spaced away from the barrel base and with said firing pin retracted within said firing pin bore, a by-pass dog pivotally mounted on the said slidable frame in underlying relation to the middle bridge and provided with a, ledge and a lug projection on opposite sides of its pivot, the middle bridge being provided with a depending stop lug, a manual crank mounted on the said supporting member and secured to said means for pivotally mounting said tripper lever, said manual crank being depressible to turn the said tripper lever in an actuating direction, the other of the said lever arms of the tripper lever having a lip normally overlying and engaging the said ledge of the pivoted dog and adapted upon the said actuating turning of the tripper lever to move the slidable frame downwardly away from the barrel base, turning of the said dog being prevented by abutment of its said lug with the said stop lug of the middle bridge, the turning of said tripper lever causing its lever arm to force the lower spring element upwardly and the said downward movement of the frame causing its said upper bridge to force the upper spring element downwardly to energize the spring, further turning of the tripper causing its said lip to ride of? the said ledge of the by-pas dog whereupon the upper element of the said energized spring impels the slidable frame upwardly, the momentum of said upward propulsion causing the slidable frame beyond its initial position of rest to protrude the tip of the firing pin beyond and above the firing pin bore in the barrel base, the said upper bridge moving in the said space between the barrel base and the upper spring element, the lower spring element being held in said upward energized position by the said bearing point of the turned tripper lever and adapted upon freeing th said manual crank lever to turn the tripper lever in the return direction to elevate the crank lever. to initial positions, the lip of the crank tripper lever turning the dog in a direction to pass by the dog, and spring means mounted in the said lower block of the slidable member for yieldingly opposing the turning of the dog.

2. In firing mechanism for a gun having a barrel provided with a firing pin bore in its base, the combination of a supporting member for the said barrel, a frame slidably mounted in the said supporting member and provided with an upper bridge and a middle bridge, the said upper bridge having an outwardly extending firing pin received in the said bore, a spring means having a coiled portion and upper and lower spring elements extending laterally therefrom, means associated with said coiled portion for mounting said spring means in the supporting member with its upper spring element underlying and contacting the upper bridge of the slidable frame and with its lower spring element overlying and contacting the middle bridge, the distal end of the upper spring element having an offset portion and adapted to bear against the barrel base to space the upper spring element therefrom, a lever having oppositely extending lever arms, means pivotally mounting said lever in said supporting member with a point on one of its lever arms underlying the distal end of said lower spring element and serving as a bearing therefor, the said bearing point of the lever and the said middle bridge of the slidable frame being so constructed and arranged relative to the lower spring element that in the initial position of the lever the said lower spring element presses the middle bridge downwardly to seat the upper bridge on the upper spring element and spaced away from the barrel base and with its firing pin retracted within the said firing bore, a by-pass dog pivotally mounted on the said slidable frame and provided with a ledge, a manual crank mounted on the said supporting member and depressed to turn the said lever in an actuating direction, the other of the said lever arms of the lever having a lip normally overlying the said ledge of the pivoted dog and adapted upon the said actuating turning of the lever to move the slidable frame downwardly away from the barrel base, the said lever turning causing its said bearing point to force the lower spring element upwardly and the said downward movement of the frame causing its said upper bridg to force the upper Spring wire downwardly to energize the spring, further turning of the lever causing its said lip to ride off the said ledge of the by-pass dog whereupon the upper element of the said energized spring impels the slidable frame upwardly, the momentum of said upward propulsion carrying the slidable frame beyond its initial position to protrude the tip of the firing pin beyond and above the barrel base, the said upper bridge moving in the said space between the barrel base and the upper spring wire, the lower wire spring element being held in said upward energized position by the said bearing point of the turned lever and adapted upon freeing the said manual lever to turn the lever in the return direction, and to elevate the manual crank to initial positions.

3. In firing mechanism for a gun having a barrel provided with a firing pin bore in its base, the combination of a supporting member for the said barrel, a frame slidably mounted in the said supporting member and provided with an upper bridge and a middle bridge, the said upper bridge having an outwardly extending firing pin received in the said bore, a spring having a coiled portion and upper and lower elements extending laterally therefrom, means associated with the said coiled portion for mounting the spring in said supporting member with its upper spring element underlying the upper bridge of the slidable fram and with its lower spring element overlying the middle bridge, a lever pivotally mounted in the supporting member having oppositely extending lever arms with a point on one of its lever arms underlying and supporting the distal end of said lower spring element, th said spring maintaining, in the rest position of the lever, the slidable frame in its initial position with its firing pin retracted in its said bore, a bypass dog pivotally mounted on the said slidable frame, a manual crank mounted on the supporting member and adapted to be depressed to turn the said lever in an actuating direction, the other of the said lever arms of the lever having a lip cooperative with the said bypass dog and adapted upon the said actuating turning of the lever to move the slidable frame downwardly, the turning of said lever causing its said supporting point to force the lower spring true,

element upwardly and the said downward movement of the frame causing its aid upper bridge to force the upper spring element downwardly to energize the spring, further turning of the lever causing its said lip to ride off the by-pass dog whereupon the upper element of the said energized spring impels the slidable frame upwardly, the momentum of said upward propulsion carrying the slidable frame beyond its initial position to protrude the tip of the firing pin above and beyond the barrel base, the lower wire spring element being held in said upward energized position by the said supporting point of the turned lever and adapted upon freeing the said manual crank to turn the lever in the return direction, and to elevate the manual crank, to initial positions.

4:. A firing mechanism for a firearm comprising a firing pin unit having a lateral aperture, a spring means having a coiled portion and upper and lower spring elements extending laterally therefrom, means associated with said coil portion for mounting said spring adjacent said unit, said spring elements being received within said apercocking means to retract the said unit against the action of one of said spring elements and means on the cocking means to further stress the spring by contact with the other of said spring element simultaneously with the cocking operation.

5. In a firing mechanism, a combination of a firing pin, a slidably mounted supporting structure therefor and having a slotted portion, a cocking lever, means pivotally supporting the same adajacent said supporting structure, a spring device having a coiled portion terminating in spaced propelling and restoring spring elements extending therefrom and through the slotted portion of said supporting structure, said propelling spring element adapted to engage said supporting structure for propelling the same to a firing position, said restoring spring element yieldingly holding said cocking lever in an initial position and adapted to be moved by said lever to stress said spring device and means on said supporting structure adapted to be engaged by said cocking lever whereby predetermined angular movement of the same from said initial position will shift said supporting structure against the action of said propelling spring element to a retracted position simultaneously stressing said spring device further and whereby upon rotation of said cocking lever beyond said predetermined angular movement said supporting structure will be released for propulsion by said stressed spring device, said means being moved out of the path of said cocking lever by the same on reverse angular movement to its initial position by said restoring spring element of said spring device.

6. In a mechanism as defined by claim 5, the means on the supporting structure includes a dog pivoted in said slotted portion of the supporting structure and adapted to b-e'contacted by said cocking lever and an abutment on said structure limiting pivotal movement of said dog in one direction.

7. In a mechanism as defined by claim 5, the means on the supporting structure includes a dog pivoted in said slotted portion of the supporting structure and adapted to be contacted by said cocking lever, an abutment on said structure limiting pivotal movement of said dog in one direction, and spring means for yieldingly urging said dog against said abutment.

8. In a firing mechanism of the class described, the combination of a slidably mounted, firing member, a pivotally mounted lever, a manual crank attached to said lever for turning it in an actuating direction, a spring having a coiled portion and upper and lower spring elements extending laterally therefrom, means associated with said coiled portion for mounting the spring adjacent th said firing member, said spring elements engaging said firing member and said pivotally mounted lever, respectively, and pawl means on said firing member, said lever being so constructed and arranged that upon initial movement thereof in the said actuating direction said lever will abut said pawl means to move the firing member to cocked position thereby energizing said spring and upon continued turnin movement, said lever will become disengaged from said pawl to release said firing member to the thrust of said energized spring for movement in a firing direction, said lever being held by said manual crank in finally turned position maintaining said spring in partially energized condition, the said partially energized spring being effective upon release of said manual crank to turn said lever and crank in a direction reverse to said actuating direction.

SAUL WEISS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

